Who will be happy with the additional 1 billion lek of Tirana's ghost incinerator?

2023-12-21 21:11:00, Opinione Ilda Zhulali

Who will be happy with the additional 1 billion lek of Tirana's ghost

Today Erion Veliaj refused to participate in the special meeting called by 1/3 of the members of the Municipal Council for the Tirana incinerator. Although he was forwarded three official requests with specific questions, even after the request for a special session to make transparency, he REFUSED again!
Meanwhile, in the 2024-2026 draft budget, Veliaj has planned to pay an additional 1 billion lek per year for the Tirana incinerator.

According to the Municipality, the 2024 budget law has not provided funds for the repayment of the government's obligations, unlike what is provided in the concession contract and unlike what Veliaj stated at the municipal council meeting in September 2017.

However, in the law on the 2024 budget and the accompanying relation, the government says that it has explicitly provided financial support of 1.2 billion lek for the Municipality of Tirana, in the form of an unconditional transfer, as payment for the incinerator.

Therefore, we have requested that the mayor make full transparency about how much the Tirana incinerator costs us, even though it does not exist. We need to know where this money goes?
We need to know which budget programs will be affected by the additional payment for the non-existent incinerator?
We need to know how the obligations of the parties in the concession contract were calculated, and what has changed all of a sudden for this staggering increase for the Municipality of Tirana?
We need to know what are the deposited quantities of urban waste, inert and soil?
We need to know what are the actual expenses of the Municipality of Tirana for this concession, according to these voices?
We need to know why arrears were created, who created them and who is responsible for their non-payment?

We need to know what problems have been identified in the Project Implementation Unit, why the Municipality refuses to appoint two of its representatives there, and what measures have been taken to resolve it?
Let's remember once again that in September 2017, at the meeting of the Municipal Council, Erion Veliaj, with voice and figure, declared that "there will be no additional costs for the municipality of Tirana", and that "the concrete commitment of the costs will be presented to the City Council as soon as it is ready.”

We are at the end of 2023, and we ask Erion Veliaj to implement the legal obligations, and to make transparent the concrete commitment of the costs that he has undertaken as the Mayor of Tirana.